A Note from Allison: Supporting #TeamNewHope

27 Apr A Note from Allison: Supporting #TeamNewHope

Happy Spring!

April was another month full of celebration at New Hope! We were happy to recognize Autism Awareness Month in support of the scores of individuals we serve who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. These individuals are some of the most talented, unique and resilient people you will meet, and we are proud to serve them and to work alongside them every day. April is also Volunteer Appreciation Month. If a global pandemic has proved nothing else, at least we know how dedicated our volunteers are to serving our mission. Special thanks to our friends at College Park Church and Northwest Kiwanis for their continued partnership throughout these many months of uncertainty. Thank you also to our dedicated volunteer leaders, our Board of Directors and committee members. Their leadership, insight and support are invaluable resources and are much appreciated. Follow us on social media to see other featured volunteers this month.

Just one year ago, things seemed much less hopeful as we dealt with the worst of the pandemic within our organization. Today, we are grateful to be a healthy organization. We are also so excited to share GREAT news from our State Legislature. The recently approved budget includes a rate increase of 14% for DSP-delivered waiver services, of which 95% will be passed down to DSPs. This increase would not have come about without the support of advocates like you as well as the bipartisan efforts of our legislators. Higher wages for our frontline caregivers will help New Hope and other disability providers in our recruitment and retention efforts, an area that we are working on. (We are hiring! Please share our employment opportunities with your network.) Ultimately, this rate increase will mean higher quality services for the vulnerable population we serve. Thank you to all of you who spent time advocating to your State Representatives to make this happen!

This upcoming rate increase is just one more way that New Hope can continue supporting our dedicated associates. Our Vision Statement says, “We will recognize our associates for their unwavering commitment to service every day and we will commit to provide them with resources to be successful both personally and professionally.” As part of that commitment, our leadership team and our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee has continued working on ways to support our associates through the many trials that they might face outside of work. As a society, we have witnessed so much violence over the last several weeks including the mass shooting at a local FedEx facility. It has affected many of our associates in a very personal and lasting way. New Hope of Indiana remains committed to our Core Value of Inclusivity which states that we will advocate for social justice in ways that directly impact our associates and individuals we serve. #TeamNewHope is a family, and as family we support one another in good times and bad.

As we wrap up April, we are left feeling grateful. Grateful for the individuals we serve, for our dedicated volunteers, for our superstars on #TeamNewHope and for another month of good health. New Hope of Indiana is celebrating because ZERO of the individuals we serve have tested positive for COVID-19 since January 28! We are also celebrating that over 99% of individuals in our residential programs have been fully vaccinated thanks to our New Hope nursing team. As we continue to move onward, we are excited to transition more individuals from teleservices to in-person services in both our AIM and Day Services programs over the coming weeks. We are also happy to see so many individuals enjoying more time in the community and visiting their loved ones at their family homes for the first time in many months. This is all great progress, and we are thankful for this good news!

I hope you are staying healthy and well and that you’re enjoying the beautiful spring.

Take care,

Allison